PS: Please support me on patreon there 125+ chapters there)
https://patreon.com/BX_XDS
The evening sky over the Capital shimmered in soft gold and silver hues, the city lights flickering like constellations below.
Inside Selena Li's office — which looked more like a luxurious apartment than a workspace — warmth and laughter filled the air.
The "office" had the heart of a home.
A polished kitchen occupied one side, with soft lights glowing under marble counters. The opposite side had a dining nook framed by glass windows overlooking the city. A small bookshelf, potted plants, and framed family photos softened the edges — one photo showed a much younger Atlas with his parents, his arm wrapped protectively around two small children.
Now, years later, that same family was about to share a meal again.
Atlas helped his mother set the table, placing down bowls of steaming soup and plates of stir-fried vegetables.
The smell of ginger and soy sauce mingled with something sweet — his mother's signature honey-glazed pork.
Selena glanced at him with a teasing smile. "You're still too stiff with those hands. Relax, soldier. You're home, not in a mess hall."
Atlas smirked, adjusting a bowl. "Force of habit. Out there, one shaky hand and someone bleeds out. Here… someone might spill soup."
Selena rolled her eyes with a fond sigh. "Always dramatic."
Before Atlas could respond, the elevator door behind them slid open with a soft ding.
Dr. Adrian Li stepped out, still wearing his lab coat — half-buttoned, smudged with grease, and one sleeve slightly burned at the cuff.
He blinked at the warm light and the smell of food. "Oh good! I didn't miss dinner this time."
Selena turned to him, hands on her hips. "You say that every night you forget dinner."
Adrian chuckled and kissed her cheek before sitting down. "I've been testing energy readings from the containment core. I think we're close to stabilizing—"
Selena interrupted, wagging a spoon. "No science talk at the table."
Adrian sighed dramatically. "You take all the fun out of dinner, dear."
Atlas chuckled, sitting down beside them. "You're the only man I know who thinks nuclear containment is 'fun.'"
His father winked. "Genius comes with quirks, my boy."
Selena brought over the last dish — steaming dumplings — and set them in the middle of the table. "All right. Sit, eat, and no equations."
The family began to eat. For a while, the only sounds were clinking utensils and quiet sighs of satisfaction.
Selena broke the silence first. "You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you sitting here again, Atlas. After all these years."
Atlas looked up, smiling faintly. "Feels strange being here. Peaceful. Almost… too peaceful."
Adrian poured him tea. "That's what home's supposed to be. Quiet enough for you to finally think — or in my case, think too much."
His wife shot him a look, but there was affection in it.
After a few minutes of small talk, Atlas leaned back, glancing around the room. "By the way… where are Ethan and Mina? I didn't see them anywhere."
Selena's expression softened immediately, her eyes lighting up. "They're still at the Academy. Classes run late these days — the Federation's new schedule keeps the older students busy with defense and science programs."
Adrian smiled proudly. "Ethan's in the Corps Prep Division now. He keeps saying he's going to enlist when he turns sixteen."
Atlas blinked, halfway through a bite. "He what?"
Selena laughed softly. "He's determined. Says he's going to be 'just like big brother.'"
Atlas groaned quietly. "He's only thirteen."
"Fourteen next month," Selena corrected gently. "And you know how boys are at that age. He's brave, and he's proud of you. He even shaved his hair short last week — said it looked more 'military.'"
Adrian chuckled. "He's been training early every morning. Push-ups at dawn, drills with a broomstick pretending it's a rifle. The neighbors think we've started a boot camp."
Atlas couldn't help but laugh, rubbing his forehead. "That sounds like Ethan, all right. Always charging ahead."
"And Mina?" he asked, smiling softly.
Selena's face brightened even more. "Mina's doing wonderfully in her studies. She's only ten, but her teachers say she has your focus — and your stubbornness. She's top of her class in science and art. She wants to be an engineer one day."
Adrian nodded proudly. "She keeps sneaking into my lab when she visits. Once, she almost took apart one of the prototypes. Said she was 'just curious.'"
Atlas laughed. "Let me guess — you weren't even mad."
"Of course not," Adrian said, feigning innocence. "Curiosity is the heart of invention. I just made sure she didn't press the red button."
Selena gave him a sharp look. "You let her near a red button?"
Adrian raised his hands. "It was disabled! Probably."
Atlas grinned, shaking his head. "Some things never change."
Dinner continued with easy laughter and warm stories. They talked about Ethan's stubborn competitiveness, Mina's drawings that decorated the apartment walls, and the small things that made home feel like home again.
At one point, Selena leaned her chin on her hand, smiling at her son. "You know, Atlas… even when you were gone, this table never felt empty. We always saved you a seat."
Atlas's chest tightened slightly. "I missed this," he admitted quietly. "The noise. The warmth. The smell of your cooking."
Selena reached over and squeezed his hand. "Then stay as long as you can. The war will still be there tomorrow — but tonight, you're home."
Adrian nodded, lifting his teacup. "To family — to home — and to a dinner without explosions or equations."
Selena chuckled, clinking her cup with his. "For once."
Atlas raised his cup too, smiling softly. "To home."
They drank together as the city lights shimmered beyond the glass.
For the first time in years, Atlas felt something he hadn't felt since childhood — a quiet, unshakable peace.
PS: Please support me on patreon there 125+ chapters there)
https://patreon.com/BX_XDS